William Owens on Families & Children

Republican CO Governor

Encourage fathers' participation in child-raising.

Owens adopted the National Governors Association position paper:

The Issue

Growing evidence suggests that children from families in which fathers do not contribute their time and support endure a number of risk factors. Children with absent fathers are more likely to drop out of school, become teenage parents, develop drug or alcohol problems, or become involved in violent criminal behavior. Congress and the administration have recently proposed a number of federal programs to support state and local fatherhood initiatives.

NGA’s Position

Governors believe that government at all levels can and should take immediate action to help reduce the number of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and encourage active participation by fathers of all ages in raising their children. Governors have played a leadership role at both the national and state level in developing and implementing comprehensive strategies to strengthen the role of fathers in their childrens’ lives. While many Governors are using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other federal program funds to support state-specific fatherhood initiatives, additional investment in fatherhood would broaden the population of fathers that can be served. Governors believe that there should be support of and coordination between existing programs and any new federal funding stream designated for fatherhood initiatives and that these new initiatives should not be funded at the expense of another vital human service program.

providing children with appropriate adult male role models, such as mentors, in the absence of a caring father;

ensuring that young men are given opportunities to feel successful and valued, which will lead to the development of self-confidence and preparation for fatherhood;

encouraging the involvement of the community, including the religious community, civic community, business community, and mentors in addressing the importance of father involvement;

developing strategies that include both parents in activities focused on their children, such as training service providers and educators to include both parents in their service delivery;

working with private employers and the education community to provide education and job training opportunities to unemployed, underemployed, and low-skilled fathers; and

paternity establishment and child support enforcement efforts.

Any new federal funding stream designated for fatherhood initiatives should:

support programs in states, at the discretion of each Governor, that encourage appropriate involvement of both parents in the life of a child, with priority given to programs that specifically address the issue of fatherhood;

be coordinated with existing fatherhood programs, as well as with other federal funds that can be used for fatherhood initiatives, such as TANF; and